Nutrient intakes from complementary foods are associated with cardiometabolic biomarkers among undernourished Peruvian children.

Relatively little is known about how the diet of chronically undernourished children may impact cardiometabolic biomarkers. The objective of this exploratory study was to characterise relationships between dietary patterns and the cardiometabolic profile of 153 3-5-year-old Peruvian children with a high prevalence of chronic undernutrition. We collected monthly dietary recalls from children when they were 9-24 months old. At 3-5 years, additional dietary recalls were collected, and blood pressure, height, weight, subscapular skinfolds and fasting plasma glucose, insulin and lipid profiles were assessed. Nutrient intakes were expressed as average density per 100 kcals (i) from 9 to 24 months and (ii) at follow-up. The treelet transform and sparse reduced rank regress'ion (RRR) were used to summarize nutrient intake data. Linear regression models were then used to compare these factors to cardiometabolic outcomes and anthropometry. Linear regression models adjusting for subscapular skinfold-for-age Z-scores (SSFZ) were then used to test whether observed relationships were mediated by body composition. 26 % of children were stunted at 3-5 years old. Both treelet transform and sparse RRR-derived child dietary factors are related to protein intake and associated with total cholesterol and SSFZ. Associations between dietary factors and insulin were attenuated after adjusting for SSFZ, suggesting that body composition mediated these relationships. Dietary factors in early childhood, influenced by protein intake, are associated with cholesterol profiles, fasting glucose and body fat in a chronically undernourished population.

Acute hypotensive and diuretic activities of Berberis vulgaris root bark aqueous extract in normal rats

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of intravenous administration of Berberis vulgaris root bark aqueous extract (BRBD) on the cardiovascular and renal functions of healthy normotensive rats. The different doses of BRBD 1, 10 and 20 mg/kg were administered intravenously (i.v) in normal rats. Blood pressure, diuretic activity and serum renal profile were analyzed. Intravenous injection of BRBD at the different doses of 1, 10 and 20 mg/kg showed a dose-dependent reduction in mean arterial blood pressure (P<0.001). At different doses of 1, 10 and 20 mg/kg, the hypotensive effect remained for more than one hour. Single dose administration of BRBD at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg caused a significant increase in urine output (P<0.001) as compared to the control rats. Serum renal profile test (albumin, Urea, Uric Acid, creatinine and BUN) did not show any significant alteration. The authors conclude that the BRBD is a potent hypotensive and possesses diuretic potential

Evaluation of mechanism for antihypertensive and vasorelaxant effects of hexanic and hydroalcoholic extracts of celery seed in normotensive and hypertensive rats

ABSTRACT Celery (Apium graveolens L., Apiaceae) is one of the popular aromatic vegetables and part of the daily diet around the world. In this study, aqueous-ethanolic and hexane extracts of celery seed were prepared and the amount of n-butylphthalide, as an active component, was determined in each extract. Then the effects of hexanic extract on systolic, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated in an invasive rat model. The vasodilatory effect and possible mechanisms of above mentioned extracts on aorta ring were also measured. High performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that hexanic extract contains significantly higher amounts of n-butylphthalide, compared to aqueous-ethanolic extract. The results indicated that hexanic extract significantly decreased the systolic, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Our data revealed that celery seed extract exerts its hypotensive effects through its bradycardic and vasodilatory properties. Moreover, the active components in celery seed extracts could induce their vasodilatory properties through Ca2+ channel blocking activity in endothelial and non-endothelial pathways and particularly by interference with the extra or intracellular calcium.

Comparison of bispectral index and vital parameters in rabbits receiving propofol or isoflurane anesthesia

Background: Reflexes, muscle tonus, heart rate, respiratory frequency and blood pressure are parameters that can be used to evaluate the depth of anesthesia. Bispectral index (BIS) was developed with the objective of evaluating quantitatively the sedative and hypnotic effects of anesthetic drugs. It is widely used to assess central nervous system depression levels. The objective of this study was to compare changes in BIS and several vital parameters during general anesthesia achieved with either propofol or isoflurane, following premedication with dexmedetomidine. Materials, Methods & Results: Adult female New Zealand rabbits (Mean ± SD body weight 3.6 ± 0.4 kg) were procured from a commercial source certified for medical experimentation. The animal number in each of the two study groups was four, for a total of eight. The animals were checked before the study to ascertain their good health. The animals, randomly allocated to either of two study groups, were given dexmedetomidine, 20 µg/kg i.v. Induction was realized by means of propofol, 8 mg/kg i.v. in the propofol group (n = 4), and by administration through a glove mask of isoflurane, 4%, in the isoflurane group (n = 4). Anesthesia maintenance was assured by propofol, 0.6 mg/kg/min or 2% isoflurane with oxygen, respectively. Both anesthetic applications were well tolerated by the rabbits. Before premedication (T0), at the time points of 1 (T1) and 5 min (T2) after dexmedetomidine injection, 1 min into anesthesia induction (T3), and 10 (T4), 30 (T5) and 60 min (T6) after start of maintenance, the following were recorded: BIS, systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and Anesthesia Score (AS). Blood gas analysis, serum sodium and potassium, blood glucose level, hemoglobin and hematocrit were measured at time points T0 and T6. MAP dropped significantly lower in the propofolgroup at times T2, T3 and T4 (P < 0.05). Under BIS monitoring, BIS values were also found to be relatively lower in the propofol group at times T1, T2 and T4, corresponding in this to AS. At T4, the BIS values were, respectively, 69.5 ± 6.24 and 68.25 ± 3.59 in the isoflurane and propofol groups (P < 0.05). In summary, premedication with dexmedetomidine did not, differently than with humans, assure deep sedation; BIS values, in parallel with our AS evaluation, reached levels of deep anesthesia in the maintenance stage both in the propofol and isoflurane groups. BGA results in arterial blood (pH, PaO2, PaCO2, BE, HCO3) as well as hematocrit (Hct), Na+, K+, glucose, hemoglobin (Hb) were recorded and reported in Table 2. A significant increase in pH was noted at T6 (P < 0.05) in the propofol groups compared to animals given isoflurane (7.39 ± 0.01 vs 7.35 ± 0.003, respectively), all measurements remaining within the normal values. Discussion: Vital parameters showed parallelism with the values of both our AS and BIS in this study, in which we administered general anesthesia with either propofol or isoflurane to rabbits premedicated with dexmedetomidine. Publications on humans show that surgical anesthesia is realized at BIS values under 60; BIS fell in rabbits in parallel to MBP at 10, 30 and 60 min of anesthesia, and AS also showed that the depth of anesthesia was adequate. No surgery having been performed in this study, we think that the parameters noted in this paper should be investigated in future studies that include surgery.

Comparison of bispectral index and vital parameters in rabbits receiving propofol or isoflurane anesthesia / Comparison of bispectral index and vital parameters in rabbits receiving propofol or isoflurane anesthesia

Background: Reflexes, muscle tonus, heart rate, respiratory frequency and blood pressure are parameters that can be used to evaluate the depth of anesthesia. Bispectral index (BIS) was developed with the objective of evaluating quantitatively the sedative and hypnotic effects of anesthetic drugs. It is widely used to assess central nervous system depression levels. The objective of this study was to compare changes in BIS and several vital parameters during general anesthesia achieved with either propofol or isoflurane, following premedication with dexmedetomidine. Materials, Methods & Results: Adult female New Zealand rabbits (Mean ± SD body weight 3.6 ± 0.4 kg) were procured from a commercial source certified for medical experimentation. The animal number in each of the two study groups was four, for a total of eight. The animals were checked before the study to ascertain their good health. The animals, randomly allocated to either of two study groups, were given dexmedetomidine, 20 µg/kg i.v. Induction was realized by means of propofol, 8 mg/kg i.v. in the propofol group (n = 4), and by administration through a glove mask of isoflurane, 4%, in the isoflurane group (n = 4). Anesthesia maintenance was assured by propofol, 0.6 mg/kg/min or 2% isoflurane with oxygen, respectively. Both anesthetic applications were well tolerated by the rabbits. Before premedication (T0), at

Background: Reflexes, muscle tonus, heart rate, respiratory frequency and blood pressure are parameters that can be used to evaluate the depth of anesthesia. Bispectral index (BIS) was developed with the objective of evaluating quantitatively the sedative and hypnotic effects of anesthetic drugs. It is widely used to assess central nervous system depression levels. The objective of this study was to compare changes in BIS and several vital parameters during general anesthesia achieved with either propofol or isoflurane, following premedication with dexmedetomidine. Materials, Methods & Results: Adult female New Zealand rabbits (Mean ± SD body weight 3.6 ± 0.4 kg) were procured from a commercial source certified for medical experimentation. The animal number in each of the two study groups was four, for a total of eight. The animals were checked before the study to ascertain their good health. The animals, randomly allocated to either of two study groups, were given dexmedetomidine, 20 µg/kg i.v. Induction was realized by means of propofol, 8 mg/kg i.v. in the propofol group (n = 4), and by administration through a glove mask of isoflurane, 4%, in the isoflurane group (n = 4). Anesthesia maintenance was assured by propofol, 0.6 mg/kg/min or 2% isoflurane with oxygen, respectively. Both anesthetic applications were well tolerated by the rabbits. Before premedication (T0), at

Comparison of bispectral index and vital parameters in rabbits receiving propofol or isoflurane anesthesia / Comparison of bispectral index and vital parameters in rabbits receiving propofol or isoflurane anesthesia

Background: Reflexes, muscle tonus, heart rate, respiratory frequency and blood pressure are parameters that can be used to evaluate the depth of anesthesia. Bispectral index (BIS) was developed with the objective of evaluating quantitatively the sedative and hypnotic effects of anesthetic drugs. It is widely used to assess central nervous system depression levels. The objective of this study was to compare changes in BIS and several vital parameters during general anesthesia achieved with either propofol or isoflurane, following premedication with dexmedetomidine. Materials, Methods & Results: Adult female New Zealand rabbits (Mean ± SD body weight 3.6 ± 0.4 kg) were procured from a commercial source certified for medical experimentation. The animal number in each of the two study groups was four, for a total of eight. The animals were checked before the study to ascertain their good health. The animals, randomly allocated to either of two study groups, were given dexmedetomidine, 20 µg/kg i.v. Induction was realized by means of propofol, 8 mg/kg i.v. in the propofol group (n = 4), and by administration through a glove mask of isoflurane, 4%, in the isoflurane group (n = 4). Anesthesia maintenance was assured by propofol, 0.6 mg/kg/min or 2% isoflurane with oxygen, respectively. Both anesthetic applications were well tolerated by the rabbits. Before premedication (T0), at

Background: Reflexes, muscle tonus, heart rate, respiratory frequency and blood pressure are parameters that can be used to evaluate the depth of anesthesia. Bispectral index (BIS) was developed with the objective of evaluating quantitatively the sedative and hypnotic effects of anesthetic drugs. It is widely used to assess central nervous system depression levels. The objective of this study was to compare changes in BIS and several vital parameters during general anesthesia achieved with either propofol or isoflurane, following premedication with dexmedetomidine. Materials, Methods & Results: Adult female New Zealand rabbits (Mean ± SD body weight 3.6 ± 0.4 kg) were procured from a commercial source certified for medical experimentation. The animal number in each of the two study groups was four, for a total of eight. The animals were checked before the study to ascertain their good health. The animals, randomly allocated to either of two study groups, were given dexmedetomidine, 20 µg/kg i.v. Induction was realized by means of propofol, 8 mg/kg i.v. in the propofol group (n = 4), and by administration through a glove mask of isoflurane, 4%, in the isoflurane group (n = 4). Anesthesia maintenance was assured by propofol, 0.6 mg/kg/min or 2% isoflurane with oxygen, respectively. Both anesthetic applications were well tolerated by the rabbits. Before premedication (T0), at